Truth Behind the Mask
by disneyqueen
Summary: Lust, power, and more power. Thant's all Max seems to care about, but is that the only thing he cares about? Find out


**Here's a new story. I hope you enjoy it. I OWN NIOTHING, but the plot. I hope you enjoy it.**

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Max's fingers tapped in frustration; smacking a goblet off the table, the rim cut across his knuckles before it shattered onto the floor. The blood dripped down across his hand, but he welcomed the pain. His eyes shot up to the portrait of his old mentor; he had gained so much power that night, but at a high, of god a high cost and now a new power seemed to over him. A shiver crawled down his spine as his gaze shifted down into the fire. Fire, a flame of warmth, light, and passion felt by those weak enough to believe in such. Twisting away, he growled deep in his throat as the fire crackled beside him. From all his power, only one thing had weakened his hold and denied him at every turn. The name slipped from his lips in disgust, but tenderness of a treasured dream.

"Allyson," her name danced upon his tongue in a faint melody.

His eyes darted over towards the flames crackling in a crescendo of noise, as deadly as waves in a violent tempest. Within the fire's glow, his dark gaze squinted as a familiar shape formed. A fragile body of a young girl….women dancing to invisible music within the safety of her bedroom. Her golden curls whipped past her face as she spun around; her feet pounding against the wooden floor, occasionally falling out of sync with the rhythm. Green eyes pierced through the flames as the fair skin seemed to burn away. Allyson turned sharply and bounced back towards her bed, plucking the guitar from its stand. His mind reeled as the figure began to sing-along, a large smile of white teeth flashed at him. Without thinking, his hand reached out and caressed her cheek; his skin tingled as he felt her own tender skin beneath his rough touch. As she spun away from him, he growled low in his throat and tossed the goblet into the fire, destroying her image.

"Damn you," he cursed; his hand still hovered over the place where her cheek had been.

He felt her, always had….even at such a tender age of sixteen. The more power he had wished to gain only three years ago paled in comparison to her….his dark angel. A forbidden angel fallen for the devil…a young, frustrated, unskilled son of a Bitch won her love. He shook his head; he had never meant to harm her, but pain had won him over; only more power would make her be his and his alone. That day Allyson had been sent away, it had nearly broken his heart, but it was for her own good. He hadn't wanted her to get killed in the crossfire….it was too much.

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**Flashback**

"_**Allyson's here," Hunter pointed off to the right, "over there."**_

"_**Thank you," Max had whispered, shivers crawling down his spine. She couldn't be here. **_

_**When Danny had escaped the weight crushing him, anger swelled into his heart; only one person could've saved him and that meant it was all a lie. Rising from the chair, he walked over towards the stage. Even from a distance, he saw Danny looking back over at her, the damned know-it all, the….sweet angel. Every sentence and gesture spoken between Danny and him seemed a distant memory, every touch felt like a betrayal. Suddenly, the redhead boy rolled a magic box onto the stage. Max didn't even have to ask who was inside. **_

_**Turning towards the audience, Danny had said, "Well every great magician deserves a lovely assistant, don't you think Max?"**_

"_**Oh I don't know. It seems that whenever a new element has bee added, it can be a stinking point," Max stated before he thrust a sword into the box. **_

_**Two more times; each time he felt himself growing stronger; both of them were at his mercy. As the last sword was jammed inside, a loud scream escaped her lips. **_

"_**Allyson!" Danny cried, pushing the old wizard aside and opening the box; an empty sachet with glinted sliver knifes crossed over each other.**_

_**Max smirked and turned back towards the crowd. **_

_**Only moments later, a firm knock echoed from inside; Danny ran back a large smile curled at the corners of his lips. "Allyson."**_

_**From behind him, Max heard them whispering in hushed tones. Turning around, his breath caught in his throat while the two teenagers froze in terror for a moment. **_

**End of flashback**

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Max shook his head; that image was burned on the inside of his eyelids. Those golden ringlets which looped around her ears as the stage lights danced upon the tight bun upon her head. That dark velvet dress with glitter sparking in the light fitting her slim, fragile figure almost perfectly; the bare arms swayed gracefully as she had stepped out from the box.

"So much like…." His voice trailed off.

It was pointless to think of it now, Damn his old mentor and now Danny Sinclair was repeating history. Max slumped into a chair and rubbed his temples just as Paul entered the chamber.

Max didn't even look up as he asked, "What is it?"

"I found these old photo albums and I thought we might get rid of them," Paul said, adjusting the pile in his arms.

Max nodded and his gaze drifted up; in less than a second, his hand shot out and grabbed at one of oldest books. He began flipped through the brittle pages and dismissed Paul. It had to be here….it just had to be.

His hands trembled as his fingers brushed away the dust from a wedding portrait. Even after all these years, the bride's beauty took his breath away. Those golden curls and those warm, ocean deep blue gaze. Her slender body wrapped in a white sleeveless gown with a large red pendant in the center. His gaze drifted over towards the groom, the face ripped out from the picture.

"You should've kept her safe," he muttered to himself.

Her life had ended so abruptly and his mentor was the only one to blame. Even the child had been lost to him that day….both mortals, but a wife and a child none the less.

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**Flashback**

"_**You can't take her!" Max cried, tears poring down his face. **_

_**The sleeping child lay peacefully in the arms of his old mentor, unaware of the loss of her mother. Max jumped for her, but the older wizard held him back. **_

_**Frozen in place, Max cried, "Why, she did nothing to you…and….and"**_

"_**And what, Max it was all a part of your training, you just couldn't protect the ones you care about," Antino stated calmly, a smug smirk danced upon his lips. **_

_**He glanced down at the blood stained grass, the corpse only a few feet away. Turning back to his apprentice, he said, "Think of it this way, you won't be a single father anymore." **_

_**Without another word, he disappeared with the child. Max crumbled towards the ground cursing under his breath. A loud cough escaped the young brides' lips as she called out for her husband. Reality cam smacking back into him, the wind knocked out of him as he scrambled towards his fallen love. The baby blue dress was coated in warm, sticky blood as Max cradled her in his arms. Her fragile arms gripped his arms, panic soaring through her almost lifeless eyes. **_

_**"Protect….save…., her…I…."**_

_**Her head fall back; her body went limp as her arms fall back down to her sides. He cursed in rage, he wasn't powerful enough to protect or anyone he loved. **_

**End of flashback**

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The same name escaped his lips as a single tear slid down his cheek. "Allison."

Her name sent both warmth and rage through him as memories soared through his mind. He turned back towards the fire, Allyson Miller's angelic, smiling face meet his firm, grim one. The child…young girl continued to dance around her room, a child named after her late mother. In a rage, he tossed the album into the flames, the pages burning almost on contact as her image was one more shattered.

Max didn't have the power…the power to….he shook his head, as long as he didn't have the power, there was nothing he could so. Turning away, he stormed out of the chamber as the flames crackled behind him.

Within the blaze, a single message was left undamaged, but darkened in ash and embers. _**Allison Cole wed to Max Miller!**_

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**_This turned out a lot differantly thsn I had first plannned, but I hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE let know what you though about it. PLEASE cause I may make a longer story bassed on some of the ideas from this. _**


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